Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-01
NEWSPAPER WOMEN,
Is journalism to be Regarded as Con-
genial Feminine Work9-SeTersl
Well Known Ladies Who are
Give rhcir Opinions-The Question APP
parentiy Answered Favorsbiy,
Philadelphia Press.

women
This is the SUBSTANCE of the inquiry
which in one form or another, BY Letter
or by word of mouth, I have pa. 10 tex
or twelve newspaper women.
"Would you, in the light CT your eX-
perienCe, .dvise young girl 20 try the
work: What work is there thst woman
can dc On the modern newspaper: Do
reporters Of the other sex welcome 8 wo-
! NAN, or do they feel her presence among
them au iAtrusop:"
Jenny June, the editor OF Godcys
| Lacy Book, who began newspaper work
or The Weekly Times in New York bet re
any other woman, uAless one counts Mar
garet Fuller, had attempted II, mss been
s;auLcn advocate of journalism as
business for women. Ia reply TO my
! questions Mrs CrclY said:
: q 30 cot think there is any question IN
regard 20 the womau's claim to some
sort Of place in the journalism of to- day
| She has made it for herself and demon
sirated her riGdt 10 It's occupation. What
! seems 10 me the greatest obstacle 20 coed
and permanent work is the want among
| journalists of deliberate purpose and
proper equipment. They are still
accidents, the driftwood Of fortune, rath-
e. than The result Of deliberate aim aud
| conscientious preparation. To make
distinct and recognized place for herself
| in journalism to-day woman needs, in
ADDITION 10 q hrO&d and liberal education,
fiDtjmata acquaintance with some subject
upon which she Csn make herself an Gu-
:GDuCy. This 3 su1e to lead 20 success,
So II the case q Mrs MarJhs j, L.mb,
whose natural benz IcT history WGs cult
waited for fifteen 9@3r5 by me writing Of
short historic sketches sad the uislC-y
OF the City OF Ne1 YORK, when she natU-
!aiIy GrNVitatet into the sGitQTsbip Of
! historical magazine, and in z very Snort
while placed il t~r snd away in advance
OF It's kind by The breadth snd for Of
experience AID character OF hey work.
1t seems to me that the work CT women
in journalism will always be more speciai
| than general in is natuce-the discussion
Of art, literary, social, domestic and eau
cstioDal topics, correspondence and eGi-
| .Crship OF periodicals which represent
tGeSo themes ard interests. l 90 rot
| think general reporting on a daily paper
il great city possible or desirable IOT
women, while the field OF dramatic cYigi-
! clsm is difficult because of the late hours
| aud the embarrassment CT trayersiDg the
streets after midnight without an escort
| Yet women are excellent critics and pub
HsheT3 fnd them the quickest, keenest
and most conscientious of readers and
book reviewers. Few publishing houses
now but employ mere or less women in
this capacity.
AS for the dangers Of newspaper Offices
TO Womsn they are ChimcriCaI. a woman
who attends 20 nar business is respecte d
Just IS & man is, there g no sex in hard,
honest work.
WOMAN REPORTERS EXPERIENCE.
The newspaper correspondence and
much CT the wOrk Of which Mrs. CrOLy
speaks can be done, partially at least, from
the writer's OWE study desk, ED GO not al
ways or necessarily involve the routine If
daily office hours, or bring W tee per
picking questions OF relations with our
nalists OF the other sex. On these points
I consulted Mrs. Florence Finch Kelly,
J who, first as reporter for the Boston
, Globe, and later as editorial writer for
the same paper, made herself reputation
rs one of the brightest OF the younger
newspaper writers 10 Boston, and who,
since her marriage ana residence ia New
YORK, has found time for constant news
paper work as well. Mrs. Kelly says:
Should 3 woman who wishes TO do
J =
an office or attempt 70 do simply con-
trlbHting from the outside? The news
paper edltor will invariably tell her that
, she doesn't need to undergo the dis
comforts Of Office work, that she can lust
ss we'll do her writing outside. But he
tells her that because it is the easiest
way to get himself cut Of az uDCOmiort-
able position. He knows that IN ali
J probability see would be 81 unweIcome
addition to his staff, and he does not
wish 10 say 50, He knows very well that
her value 10 him will be doubled and her
work as a newspaper worker vastly in
creased il she goes into al Office ss one Of
its regular workers and takes g training
il "ell-round" newspaper WORK.
! But there is g prejudice and j strong
one among newspaper men against women
in newspaper offices. Nor is 1t strange
inst there is, Tor so many Of the women
who have gone intOthe work hzyc exrec-
ted ard demanded that the rules Of thu
drawing be enforced IL the office
that they have made inc whole sex uu-
welcome. The newspaper Office is thor
I oughly democratic and 10 person can
enter It and gain favor of any kind by
reason of race, sex, cOlor or previous
condition OF any kind whatsoever No
one man or woman ought 10 expect aa
oli;e full OF people to change their habits
to suit the likes and dis
likes of That one individual.
If woman objects TO tobacco
smoke either she should not go into an
office, where nine-tenths Of the people are
smokers, Or if she does she should keep
her objections, whether they be moral or
, physical, o herself. If she thinks there
is anything Inherently disrespectful in G
man with his coat OF or his heels on O.
! desk, she should do her writing
at home. Aud if she enters an Office the
, more closely che attends to business snd
the less she thinks about her moral inhu-
e1ce the better she will succeed. Also
. the more influence she will exert. Tue
less consideration she seems tc expect
on account OF her sex the more she will
, get. TIE fewer fsvoTs she asks for
the more will be offered. she can not find
anywhere truer courtesy tnsn will
! spontaneously flow ell about ner when
her associates Zee that she is 20 un2ssum-
ing worker, trying to succeed by attend
, ing strictly to her own labcrs, that she
, does not presume upon her sex and that
, she does not expect extra attention or
, consideration. In short, the woman who
enters q newspaper office must be willing
to take things SIS she finds them and make
no comments, or she will soon become
the most unpopular member OF the staff
But by acting with good sense and true
poiiteness she Cen make her path g very
pleasant one and her days in the Office
, ! sucb that she will ALWAYS remember them